On April 15th, dozens of New Rochelle residents turned out to restore some Common Sense to government for the first ever “Teaparty” in the adopted hometown of American Patriot Thomas Paine. Held at the On The Waterfront restaurant near the marina on Long Island Sound, local citizens gathered to protest out of control taxes and runaway spending by all levels of government. Over a dozen speakers took to the open microphone to express concerns about a wide range of tax and spending related topics. Most speakers addressed concerns over school taxes and the school budget, property assessments, country taxes, plans to abolish Westchester County government. Little was said about state or federal taxes showing that once again all politics is local.
Among the speakers were former Congressman Joseph J. DioGuardi, the only practicing accountant ever elected Congress but more recently famous as the father of American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi (pictured left hamming it up with Paula Abdul). After he left Congress, DioGuardia penned a book Unaccountable Congress: It Doesn’t Add Up.
Dr. Jack Wagner, candidate for New Rochelle School Board explained how the school district hides wasteful spending in its budget proposals has dramatically underestimated the projected decline in the assessed value of property in New Rochelle where home values are off more than 20%. While many property tax experts are projecting a massive decline in assessables throughout Westchester County from last year, the District initially project no change in the rate of decline. Just this past week the school board approved a budget which modified this figure slightly but still significantly understates the likely tax increase that will be required to fund the record-breaking budget which contained no job cuts, no pay freezes and a $13,000 raise for the school superintendent.
Below are a few photos from the event with a link at the bottom to a photo gallery. If you have your own photos, upload them to Flickr and send us a link.
The entire photo album is here.
The issue here was not the
The issue here was not the Pledge of Allegiance. The Pledge was still to be recited in each classroom at a more appropriate time deemed by the teacher. The school was attempting to make the school day run a little more efficiently by removing morning announcements that could be disruptive to some classrooms as well as time consuming (especially for the ½ day kindergarteners that barely have enough time to get anything done – thank god that is changing). They experimented with it – it didn’t work – they put it back. Don’t make this a “federal case”. I am a Trinity PTA mom that is most definitely for morning announcements and reciting the pledge as a group. The school experimented with a new format. When it didn’t work they changed it back – end of story.
From where I stand, the
From where I stand, the Pledge seems to have gotten caught up in a tug of war between teacher’s representatives and the administration. It took a few parents finding out about this so called experiment with the announcements to bring the Pledge back to it’s rightful place. Therefore, you are correct in stating, ‘The issue here was not the Pledge of Allegiance.’ just the total disregard in communicating with parents about our children’s and our nation’s future. The ‘end of story’ came when parents made their voices heard, otherwise it would’t have been changed back so quickly, if at all.
Nothing I stated was
Nothing I stated was incorrect. I was one of the parents voices that was heard and am very happy morning announcements and the Pledge have been reinstated. My point is that this was not an issue of the Pledge of Allegiance being removed from Trinity school (as stated in many of the postings). We are on the same page – I for one am not one to make an issue where there really isn’t one.
Communication is an issue.
Communication is an issue. Ironically, had it been front and center from the onset, we wouldn’t need to communicate here, through a community blog.
The pledge of allegiance is
The pledge of allegiance is a stupid saying anyway… It’s a waste of time that could otherwise be spent teaching our wonderful children. If you add up all the time in a year spent on saying the pledge of disobediance that is a lot of time that could be spent teaching our children useful information they will use in their lives.
Your very own statement in
Your very own statement in this public forum is living proof that you are enjoying the very ‘liberty’ that we Pledge to every day. Thank you for making my point.
A stupid saying??? DO you
A stupid saying??? DO you understand what the words mean? Do you live in the United States and have you learned any US history. A STUPID saying, that takes up less than a minute of a child’s day in school. How about what it does teach our children! About having respect for this country of ours, the country that you are now living in. About the history of how this great country came to be. I can’t think of a better way to start our children’s day then to have them remember what a great country they live in AND to have them think about, if only for 40 seconds, the freedoms we have in this country AND maybe even think about for a second or two the men and women overseas who are fighting for us and those freddoms today!!!!!!
The only thing stupid about the Pledge of Allegiance is NOT saying it!
Obviously, the answer has to
Obviously, the answer has to be “No.”, they did not learn their US History. Sadly, neither will their children. That is why the schools have to do their job of teaching the BASICS!
In reading and writing as well, it seems like the fundamentals are crumbling. It doesn’t cost much to solidify the basics, does it?
“If you add up all the
“If you add up all the time in a year”, – it equals less than half an hour for the entire 180 days of the school year. It was written for a children’s magazine and was meant to be brief and to the point. Designed to be stated in 15 seconds.
(Some BASIC math) – 15 seconds a day times 5 days is 75 seconds a week. Multiply that by 36 weeks of school and you have 27 MINUTES PER YEAR!
I would venture to guess that your children probably waste MORE than 27 minutes PER DAY playing mindless video games. That’s “time that could be spent teaching” your “children useful information” like the following:
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
A Republic means that WE THE PEOPLE elect our leaders. If you are telling us that the Pledge is a “waste of time” then I can only assume that you think the promise of freedom and fairness (‘with liberty and justice for all’) is a “stupid” concept. Would you be more inclined to have “our wonderful children” learn a “saying” to a dictatorship or a monarchy?
great work and finally some
great work and finally some hole in the fog. Mc Mahon is the only school administrator i can remember who took the time and had the decency to communicate directly to the community via this blog. I admire that and wonder if this man is still schedule to go elsewhere (wherever or whatever that may be) given the “need” for a new principle at Trinity. What a waste but what else is new at the district.
warren gross
Here is an email from late
Here is an email from late this afternoon —
Date: Monday, April 27, 2009, 3:07 PM
As per a number of member’s input, I hope this is helpful. Thank you for everyone’s prompt attention to this matter. PTA members are heard and do make a difference.
…
Dear Colleagues; Good morning one and all. I am writing at this time to let you know that effective tomorrow, April 28th we will once again have our announcements over the Public Address System. We have been utilizing the computerized message board for the past few weeks in an attempt to limit the interruptions in class instruction time. Yet, it appears that we are hearing from students, parents and staff that there is a lack of uniformity related to these announcements and it is causing some gaps in information that we need to get to these three constituent groups. Additionally, there are some very strong feelings on the part of people that saying the Pledge in class is not as effective as saying it as a school together. I have suggested to both the building reps and the administration moving forward that this topic be one of continued exploration. There are many excellent suggestions that need to be further explored such as having announcements at a different time of day. After 18 years as a building administrator, I can assure you this is a common issue in all schools. I appreciate the dialogue that has taken place as we worked collaboratively to ease the issues surrounding announcements. However, beginning tomorrow morning we will go back to reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and doing announcements via the P. A.
Richard A. McMahon
Interim Principal
Trinity Elementary School of Communication Arts and Technology
180 Pelham Road
New Rochelle, New York 10805
1-914-576-4440 (Fax- 1-914-576-4266)
At the risk of sounding
At the risk of sounding naive, can someone explain what ‘building reps’ are? Not being in the education field, I’m at a loss.
A Building Rep is a PTA
A Building Rep is a PTA Parent
So, in the email above, the
So, in the email above, the sentence that reads “I have suggested to both the building reps and the administration moving forward that this topic be one of continued exploration.” …are we talking about a PTA Parent(s) and the administration continuing to explore this topic? I’m still not clear.
My understanding is that the
My understanding is that the topic of “Streamlining Morning Announcements” will remain a topic of discussion at future PTA (Parent/Teacher Association)meetings.
Do ‘building reps’ attend
Do ‘building reps’ attend these meetings? I guess they would since they are also PTA parent(s). Maybe I’ll meet them at the next PTA meeting.
A Building Rep is a an
A Building Rep is a an elected member of Federation of United School Employees (FUSE)that represents the interest of union members in that particular building. The only time you should confuse the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and FUSE is when you are referring to Martin Daly. He is both the President of (FUSE and PTA) organizations here in New Rochelle. To most this would seem to be a conflict of interest. Nevertheless, no one around here seems to mind too much. It is New Rochelle, this is the way things are done around here.
Would it be a conflict of
Would it be a conflict of interest for a Building Rep (elected member of FUSE) to be a regular member of the PTA?
So, if I’m a PTA parent, I
So, if I’m a PTA parent, I can be a Building Rep? Where do I sign up?
I pledge my support to the
I pledge my support to the Pledge and to all like mom4change who still believe in the principals of our constitution and the values WE represent. It doesn’t matter where you’re from,but it IS fundamental you have an allegiance to the country that gives you your liberties (or what’s left of them). Theodore Roosevelt spoke of this when he insisted that all citizens proclaim that they are Americans first and foremost when they move here. THAT’S what being a citizen is. Be an American of Italian, Irish,Polish (or whatever) descent. Hold on to your culture, celebrate it, but until you Pledge your Allegiance to this country,and this country alone, you are nothing more than a leech, here to take without regard to building the fabric of this great nation. So Pledge with us, regardless of what the school says and be part of what makes this country great. Good for you mom4change !
Thank you citijofromnewro.
Thank you citijofromnewro.
I just got the word that the
I just got the word that the TRIAL IS OVER at Trinity. Starting tommorow the Pledge of Allegiance over the announcements is back!! Thanks to all who called and made their opinion known.
At Trinity Elementary the
At Trinity Elementary the pledge and morning announcements are a “distraction to education”.
This is the first I have
This is the first I have heard about this. Nothing surprises me anymore about New Rochelle schools but the school board recites the pledge before its meetings. I seem to recall it is recited before various school functions.
Is this an actual policy? There should be a school board resolution that made such a change, right? Or is it State law?
Anyone know for sure?
As of tomorrow morning, the
As of tomorrow morning, the Pledge will be back on the school’s speaker system!
That was the latest word at dismissal today. Luckily, ‘Common Sense’ has prevailed.
Pledge your support to the
Pledge your support to the Pledge.
I wonder how many New Rochelle taxpayers are going to vote ‘yes’ to a school budget that supports a school where the Pledge of Allegiance is left up to the individual teachers in each classroom to recite. First, it’s removed from the morning broadcast, and next? Parents will have to ask their little kindergarten child if teacher made time for the Pledge today.
Would that be Trinity
Would that be Trinity Elementary School that has “temporarily” suspended morning announcements as well as the Pledge of Allegiance? What a great idea during times of war. I bet all the veterans will be very exited to hear that the Pledge of Allegiance has been demoted.